Let's look back at the history of this country. When we first started to come over and settle this
country we were considered explorers, settlers, pioneers, and we were looked upon as
those who were forerunners and leaders. We used our skills we learned and developed
to clear out areas and develop what are now our major population areas.
We survived by hunting and fishing first, and then farming second.
our forefathers went in to the wilderness and gleaned it's resources.
As we became a more and more developed nation, and we needed
less and less of the new lands we set aside the open areas for our children to be able
to see and use for recreation. Some of the first really strong advocates of National public lands
being preserved were those great hunters such as Teddy Roosevelt who
enjoyed using the land under proper management.
We then entered a time when we noticed we needed to set land aside.
And we have. the amount of public land in America out weighs almost every nation in the world.
We have more land under the BLM and Park service than most nations have land.
I can remember as a child, packing up the 4x4 to go on a camping trip, or a picnic
with my family, we would go deep into the lands following established trails.
Most time we found areas for my father to fish and my brothers and sisters
would play games, explore the outdoors, help my mother
with picnic chores, and learn about the wonderful areas we would visit.
I was lucky my father was a military man as we moved to different areas of the country a lot.
So we had different types of land to explore and I was shown and taught how to
care for and protect where we would go and learned that the land came first.
We Grew up and were looked upon by our Friends and neighbors as outdoors people.
We were respected for our ability to travel and do
what others knew so little about. We would encourage others to come out
and show them the outdoors in a way they would take away something with them. And we
usually did it in a 4x4, going down back roads. looking for places that solitude was the norm.
I can remember the look on faces of those who rarely go out into these areas when
you show them a site few have seen, perch them on the side of a
mountain overlooking a desert. Shown some valleys I have seen grown men start to cry
as they took in the beauty of what was presented before them.
And at the end of a trip you would receive a thanks so big it made you happy you could share your love.
But now somewhere all has gone wrong.
The current attacks I see at access to public lands increase on almost a daily basis.
Just reading a forum in a site like JustGoodTrails.com and you will see posted up alert
after alert of impending actions to shut down areas all over the country. All in the name of preserving the land.
I have become the enemy, I have become the person to protect the land from.
I volunteer many a weekend to San Bernardino National Forest in Adopt a Trail service,
working side by side with a force of hundreds who toil to keep lands open to public use,
we work on trails because we are needed by the Forestry Service.
I plan this year to expand that by also working with a group
that goes and collects native seeds, germinates and care for the plants, planting them in areas
to help the control of invasive species and planting seedlings over illegal trails.
I do not want anything new, no new trails, no new areas.
I just want to preserve the access to what I have.
But somewhere I have become a bad person.
Because I do not believe we should shut down any
form of mechanical access to most areas I have become bad.
Because I do not want to deny most lands to most people I have become bad.
Wilderness designation is a failure, it denies to much to to many,
we need to push for and educate the public for the designation of Back Country,
a designation that makes sense. Back country preserves the lands,
but allows access Wilderness does not. Denying to the public never works.
Let us not become criminals for doing what we love.
Let us keep up and be proud to love the outdoors and recreate in them.
Let us hold our heads high.
Go out and volunteer for a day on public lands and let your voice be heard.
After all, when did I become bad?